CHSWC Approves the Release of Report on Understanding theEffect of Senate Bill 899 on the Law of Apportionment

OAKLAND -- The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) has approved the release of
a report on Understanding the Effect of Senate Bill (SB) 899 on the Law of Apportionment. In this report, CHSWC provides
legal analysis on the effect of SB 899 on the prior law of apportionment, how apportionment may be affected under the AMA
Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, and what the key issues are that remain to be resolved.

This report is part of CHSWC's overall study of the effect of the changes in the law of apportionment requested by Senator
Charles Poochigian and Richard Keene. In addition to the legal analysis, CHSWC will also be measuring how the law is being
applied at the trial level to determine whether the changes enacted by SB 899 are having the intended effects, as well as
to identify areas that may warrant further investigation.

CHSWC, created by the workers' compensation reform legislation of 1993, is charged with overseeing the health and safety
and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve
their operation. CHSWC was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers' compensation system and of
the state's activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational diseases and to examine those programs in other
states.

The CHSWC report on Understanding the Effect of Senate Bill 899 on the Law of Apportionment is available at
http://www.dir.ca.gov/chswc. Information about CHSWC may be accessed on the
Internet at CHSWC's home page at www.dir.ca.gov/chswc. Information may also be
obtained by writing to CHSWC at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 901, Oakland, California, 94612, by calling (510) 622-3959, by
faxing a request to (510) 622-3265, or by email at chswc@dir.ca.gov.